Journey to the Oracle Revised
by Dragonfire Gal
Summary: Always viewed as Miaka's weakest guardian, Chiriko will do anything to prove them wrong. But it will cost him a heavy price.
1. Dead Ends

Chiriko was introduced late into the Fushigi Yuugi story, which is one of the reasons why he is an overlooked character. If he had been given the chance to speak his mind, I'm certain that he would have said something like what I've written here in this story. If you have looked into his character enough, you will see that he is a replication of many of us. A small boy, who thought himself weak and worthless, finally realized that he was an essential part of the lives of those around him. He was a brave young man who sacrificed himself for his friends and for all of Konan. A small boy who believed he could never do anything and became a hero. This story is for him, the young seishi of Konan who found his self-worth.  
  
Fushigi Yuugi belongs to its respective owners such as Watase Yuu and Viz. All rights reserved. :)  
  
Journey to the Oracle Chapter One: Dead Ends  
  
Chiriko's eyes snapped open. His heart was beating like a hammer upon his chest, a repeating rhythm that beat along with the sound of the wind. Sitting up straight in his chair, the boy glanced at the candle upon his desk. It had burnt down into a small stub of wax. For the second time that night, he had fallen asleep while reading. With one trembling hand close to the candle, Chiriko blew the flame out.  
  
Another nightmare. And like each time before, try as he might, he remembered nothing of it. Chiriko searched for spare candles but when he came up with nothing, he decided that now was a good time to check on the others.  
  
Chiriko listened to his small feet slapping against the wooden floor in the dark hall. The moment he reached the top of a small flight of stairs, he could hear voices murmuring in another room. Miaka's room.  
  
Chiriko's frown deepened. Although his heart wanted to, he could not bear to walk in there again. It was then that he noticed the large, familiar figure standing out on the balcony. Whoever it was, he was staring out at the moonlit field, lost in thought.  
  
Chiriko crept closer, scrunching his eyebrows. He knew that man. Suddenly, the boy's face brightened as much as the grave situation would allow him to, and ran onto the balcony. "Mitsusake-san! Thank Suzaku you're here." Chiriko felt one of his burdens lift from his shoulders as he let out a sigh of relief.  
  
Mitsusake nodded at the young boy and smiled slightly, but his eyes spoke louder than his actions. It was obvious that he was deeply troubled.  
  
Chiriko's face darkened again, his thoughts returning back to his miko. "How...is she?"  
  
Mitsusake turned away. "Go and look."  
  
Chiriko had hoped he wouldn't say that, yet the boy knew that he would remain sick with worry if he didn't at least check on Miaka himself. Taking a deep breath, the child entered the room quietly.  
  
Inside Chichiri was close to the doorway, but he didn't seem to notice Chiriko walk in. He stood in front of the fireplace, his eyes fixed upon the fire, but his mind was elsewhere. Chiriko's green gaze moved to the other end of the room, where Miaka lay on her bed. The girl's face was as white as the sheets she was covered with. In the silent room her raspy breathing was a frightening reminder of the ghastly state she was in. Tamahome was still in the same spot he had been four hours ago—by her side. The small boy shyly went to him.  
  
"How is she?" Chiriko asked.  
  
Tamahome's voice was shaky as he spoke. "Mitsusake says...that there is something affecting her lungs. But even he doesn't know what exactly is wrong and what medicine can cure her—assuming that there even is a cure. If Miaka doesn't get better soon, she'll..."  
  
He could not finish his sentence. A heart wrenching groan escaped from his lips, as if his very soul was being ripped apart, and wept.  
  
No words could describe how terrible Chiriko felt. Since last night, he had searched through countless books on medicines, alchemy and even magic in hopes of finding a cure. He studied every ailment that matched Miaka's but every time he believed he'd found the answer, it would turn out be another dead end. The situation was getting incredibly frustrating.  
  
Everyone turned to the door when Mitsusake entered the room. "Her condition is growing worse," the tall man said.  
  
Chiriko couldn't believe that was all he had to say. "Mitsusake-san, there has to be a way to help Miaka."  
  
Mitsusake looked down at Miaka's still form.  
  
"The monks of the Old Mountain might be able to help us. They have great knowledge of the world and may know of a cure. You must bring Miaka to them."  
  
Chiriko looked out the window. The winds were howling stronger just then. "The weather is getting worse. It won't be easy getting Miaka up that forsaken mountain."  
  
"Then we'll have to leave immediately." Chichiri had spoken for the first time since Chiriko entered the room. "I will try to contact Tasuki and Nuriko. They should have enough time to meet us at the temple. And Chiriko..."  
  
The monk kneeled down a bit to meet the boy's eyes.  
  
"Keep searching. There may yet be something here that can save Miaka- chan."  
  
"Chichiri, let's go." Tamahome hurriedly left the room. Feeling rejected, Chiriko watched Chichiri going for the door. He had searched the expansive library from top to bottom. He had looked through every forgotten shelf, every dusty closet, and each lengthy volume of herbs and plants he could find. There was nothing in Konan that could help Miaka. Chiriko was sure of that. The road to Old Mountain was not an easy one, and Chichiri only wanted him to stay behind where it was safe. Chiriko knew this.  
  
What came next was a shock to everyone. Before Chichiri could step out, Chiriko had balled his hands into fists and looked down at the floor. Something was welling up and burning inside of him. As if someone had forced it out, the small seishi boldly shouted. "I'm coming too!"  
  
****  
  
"I'm coming too." For the first time ever I ignored someone's orders and expressed how I felt, and believe me I was just as surprised as they were. To this day, I have no idea what I was thinking at that moment. It was as if something bottled up deep inside of me couldn't be suppressed any longer, and had finally burst.  
  
Throughout my life, countless people have told me that a person must find his worth from within. Maybe a part of me believed that if I saved Miaka, people would see me in a new light. On the other hand, there has always been another part of me that felt quite differently.  
  
How can you find your own self-worth, if it's not there?  
  
To be continued...  
  
-------------------------------------- So there you have it. Yes, it's been a very long eternity since I last worked on this story. One of the main reasons I didn't update was because I wanted to concentrate on my original works. The thing is, Chiriko himself and your continuous reviews pulled me back to the keyboard. And so...here it is. It's not the most exciting of chapters but it's a start. Sorry if there are mistakes and awkward grammar. Believe it or not, I had to force this out of me. __ I'm certain the next chapters will be better. If any of you have any suggestions on how I should go along with this story, please feel free to leave it in a review or you can email me at: dfire2001@hotmail.com. Thanks again for all of your support.  
  
If for some reason you want to read the original chapters of "Journey", just e-mail me. :D Ciao! 


	2. Nightmare

Wow!! Five pages. It's been a long time since I've written a chapter this long.  
  
Chiriko and everything Fushigi Yuugi doesn't belong to me but to Watase Yuu.  
  
Chapter Two Nightmare  
  
The shortest route to Old Mountain was through the Xian Pass, and the fastest way to Xian Pass was by boat. When the three seishi reached the river port, they had no choice but to wait in a long line to purchase tickets. Tamahome objected at first, but Chichiri knew that there was no better option. They would have to take Miaka to the Mountain as quickly as possible.  
  
Tamahome took Chichiri to the side leaving Chiriko alone to hold their place in the line. "Are you sure about bringing him here?"  
  
Chichiri glanced at the young boy staring at the ship in awe. "Chiriko is almost fourteen. It won't be long before he's an adult. We can't protect him forever."  
  
Tamahome said no more. He knew that like numerous times, the monk was right. That's why he decided to drop the subject. Looking up at the ship, a smirk appeared on his lips. If Tasuki were here, he would be rambling on, desperately trying to come up with some lame excuse not to get on.  
  
"It's a good thing Tasuki isn't here."  
  
"Quit it!"  
  
Tamahome was startled when he heard Chiriko shout. The boy rarely raised his voice above a low pitch. The two men quickly went back to the line to see what was wrong.  
  
Sure enough, there was trouble brewing. Two boys about Chiriko's age towered over him, jeeringly. One of them, a pudgy boy with cropped black hair shoved Chiriko causing him to almost trip. "What a shrimp. Look, he barely reaches my shoulder."  
  
Chiriko looked down at the floor, his voice shaking with anger. "I said leave me alone."  
  
"Not until you move out of the line," said the other boy with a thick shock of red hair. "We're in a hurry but there're too many people here, so we need to make sure we get a ticket."  
  
The boy was about to push Chiriko again, but a large hand grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Hey lemme go!" the husky boy cried.  
  
Tamahome ignored him, only tightening his grip even more. The red head let out a yelp, since Tamahome was holding onto his wrist. "Chiriko," he said. "That's not the way you stand up for yourself. Let me show you how it's done."  
  
The seventeen year old turned the two boys around so that he could look them in the eye. "Alright you little assholes, you get the hell outta here. And I'd better not see you within ten yards to this kid, or I'll break both of your legs and you'll be rolling around for weeks."  
  
The two boys did not have to be told twice. They raced out of sight in a flash. Chichiri tried to ignore the many stares they were receiving. "Erm, I don't think it's a good idea for a guy your age to threaten young kids, Tama-kun."  
  
Tamahome grinned at Chiriko, who smiled shyly looked down at his feet. "Any questions?"  
  
The minutes ticked away, and the line gradually grew shorter. When it was their turn to buy tickets, Chichiri flashed his infamous smile at the man at the small desk.  
  
"What's the boat fare?"  
  
The man's beard was so long that it nearly touched the top of the desk he was standing behind. As he spoke, Chiriko watched it bob up and down brushing against the papers he held before him.  
  
"Eighteen for adults, and ten for children twelve and under," the man replied gruffly.  
  
Damn, eighteen for adults! That's robbery, thought Tamahome. He looked down at little Chiriko who could barely look over the tabletop, and had an idea. "Three adults," he told the man. "Plus one child, and a few small packs to carry on board. We like to travel light."  
  
The man scribbled onto his paper, muttering: "Three adults...one child."  
  
Chiriko looked at Tamahome begrudgingly. "I'm thirteen years old."  
  
After paying, the three seishi stepped to the side to wait for the boarding call. Chiriko sat on a forgotten crate reading a book on ancient Chinese mythology.  
  
"Do you always have to be so honest, kid?" said Tamahome. "We could have easily saved money."  
  
"I'm not a kid," Chiriko declared haughtily. "I'm over twelve, so that makes me an adult."  
  
Chichiri chuckled. "Your mind still revolves around money, eh Tama-kun? If you wanted a lower fare, then maybe you should have stayed behind with Mitsusake and Hotohori, no da?"  
  
"Do you really think I would leave Miaka like this? Why did you come then?"  
  
"Because I know the fastest trail to Old Mountain, no da?"  
  
The monk had slipped back into his comfortable form of speech. If he was relaxed, then Tamahome figured he might as well do the same.  
  
Chiriko was so involved in his book that the shouting on the crowded port had no affect on him. The outside world practically disappeared whenever he was reading. This time however, he heard a certain voice murmuring in the background. Chiriko lowered his book and turned around to see a cheery face framed with curly blonde hair standing between a man and a woman, possibly her parents. As if feeling his gaze on her, she turned her head, looked at him, and smiled. Blushing to nearly match his auburn hair, Chiriko's face quickly disappeared again behind the book.  
  
Because of Miaka's condition, the seishi were allowed a second room for no extra cost. Chiriko would share one room with Chichiri, while Tamahome stayed with Miaka. The room Chiriko and Chichiri received room was small but comfortable.  
  
The blue-haired seishi gazed out the window watching the orange sun sink into the liquid horizon. He had feared that after the rough incident on the dock, Chiriko would be depressed for the rest of the day. In fact, the boy seemed to have completely forgotten what happened.  
  
All of a sudden, three children dashed across the deck laughing and shouting. Chichiri looked back at the young adolescent who was sitting on the bed reading. "Chiriko-kun, there are other kids about your age on the boat. Why don't you go stretch out your legs and play?"  
  
"I'm busy."  
  
The monk shook his head. Chiriko had to be the only child he ever knew that preferred reading over tumbling outside in the dirt. "You read and study entirely too much. You'll get old fast that way."  
  
Chiriko looked up from his book and at the door, but made no advance towards it. It's almost as if he's afraid of something, Chichiri thought. "It wouldn't have to be for long," he reassured. "Just take fifteen minutes to stretch your legs."  
  
Chiriko reflected back on the blonde girl at the dock. That girl would be on the ship. Maybe if he left the room, he would find her.  
  
"I guess I could," he said. Marking his place in the chapter, Chiriko got up and left the room. "I'll be back in a bit."  
  
Chiriko found a spot on the deck that gave him a wonderful view of the sunset. It had been a long day and doing this had always calmed his nerves. For a moment, he could see the sneering faces of the two boys from that afternoon. Of course it hadn't been the first time he was made fun of. Being picked on for his height and being a "nerd" was something Chiriko had grown up with.  
  
Quickly, Chiriko shook the memories off. It was best not to think about it. This time it had been worse because Tamahome and Chichiri saw everything. Just talking about it or thinking about it made him feel worse. He would just pretend it never happened.  
  
That was when Chiriko noticed the young girl only a couple of feet away. She was about the same age with curly blonde hair nearly reaching her waist. She stood with her feet propped up against the railing looking out at the river, her eyes looking just as bedazzled as his.  
  
Chiriko felt his face heat up. It was the same girl from the dock! He would never know how he managed to summon the courage to speak to her, but somehow—by the grace of Suzaku—he moved closer to her and spoke.  
  
"Umm...it's really pretty, isn't it?" he said.  
  
She made no response.  
  
What do I say now? "C-can you imagine...all the different types of fish in this river? There's a whole other world just beneath us. It's incredible."  
  
"Hmm..." she said. Chiriko wasn't sure if she was trying to ignore him or just had nothing to say.  
  
"Um...w-what's your name?"  
  
That was when she looked at him; her brown eyes fixed on his and Chiriko felt his face flush. She was even more beautiful close up. "Mai," she said.  
  
"N-nice to meet you, Mai. I'm..."  
  
Before he could finish, the same woman that accompanied Mai on the dock shouted, "Mai!"  
  
"I'm coming." And without another word, she waved goodbye to Chiriko and left hurriedly.  
  
Chiriko watched her leave, and after she was gone, he stared at the corner where she had turned and disappeared. Several moments passed, and then his face broke out into an excited smile. She spoke to me! She actually spoke to me.  
  
When Chiriko returned, he found that Tamahome and Chichiri had switched rooms at the last minute. Miaka was running another fever. Tamahome felt that she needed more air, so he moved into Chiriko and Chichiri's room which had a much bigger window.  
  
Chichiri would sit out late that night, so Chiriko would have the room for himself. That night Chiriko was so excited that it took him half an hour to fall asleep, and in his dream, Mai was there. They were on a boat, a clear blue sky above them, and they looked out at the sea ready for a whole world to explore. It was just him and Mai and no one else.  
  
But something was wrong. It started small, a slight discomfort that made Chiriko feel uneasy. Then it grew. He could feel something lurking, a dark presence in the back of his mind. He tried pushing it aside but like a stubborn memory that won't be forgotten, it persisted. Instead it only grew stronger.  
  
Then he felt a strange sensation in his body and he shouted to himself, "Wake up!"  
  
Chiriko felt his body jerk and sit up in bed; he was now awake in the dark room. Quickly he spun around in time to see a large sword sink into the mattress exactly where he had lain up until a second ago.  
  
Then he saw the eyes. They were the cold steel blue eyes of a man looking at him, and in them was a murderous glint. Chiriko let out a shriek that seemed impossible for a boy of his size to make. The bedroom door slammed open and Chichiri rushed in. In a fraction of a second he took in the scene; he saw the boy on his bed and a large figure standing by him. Then he saw the gleam of a weapon and Chichiri immediately took action. He sent a wave of chi at the intruder, knocking him off guard. Chichiri moved forward but there was a quick flash of light so intense that he had to shield his eyes. When the light faded, the man was gone.  
  
It was then that Tamahome rushed in. He went to the boy's side to calm him down. "Chiriko! What happened?"  
  
But the boy couldn't speak. His entire body was trembling as he gazed bewilderingly at the gash the sword had made in the bed. This was a dream— it had to be a bad dream. Chichiri looked out the small window, the opening in the room that was left unguarded. It was impossible for that large man to have escaped through it. "Tamahome, you go after him. Chiriko and I will go to Miaka."  
  
Chichiri grabbed the boy by the hand, and Chiriko stepped off the bed only to feel something cold and wet on his feet. He looked down to see himself standing in a small puddle of water. A long trail of water snaked around his bed.  
  
It had been no dream. Someone else had been in that room with me.  
  
We rushed to other room but Miaka was safe. The entire boat must have woken up because of my screaming. People were peeking outside to see who was the kid that had woken them up at one in the morning?  
  
Tamahome-san and Chichiri-san spent the rest of the night searching the ship for that man, but came up empty. Whoever it was, the person was nowhere to be found. He was long gone, leaving nothing behind but a watery trail of footprints, and a shaken boy who had been awakened from a dream and was now slipping into a nightmare.  
  
Author's Note: It's late...and I'm tired. Hope there aren't bad mistakes in this chapter. Goodnight folks. E-mail me if you feel the urge to. 


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